The Russellville Democrat., 1887-06-01
THE KENTUCKY IDEA.
Salient Points of MT. Henry
 Wattcrson's Great Speech.

tlOB-
 MT. Henry Watterson entered the hall, and being recognized on the loutskirts of the crowd was received
 with great enthusiasm. Mir. Wat terson was escorted to the stand amid continuous cheering.
 The following are among the sal tent points in his speech:
 sNever in the politics of the coun- try has there been more need of some vitalizing current in democratic counsels than now is, and where shall we look to find this vtalizing current, if not in Kentucky?
 The only distinct line of democrat ic policy which at this time awakens the enthusiasm of friends and excites the denunciation of foes, is every where described as the "Kentucky idea" Cheers. And whse.. tie Kentucky dea.
 It is as far as l am able to inter- pret it and if there be anything l do understand, as the old woman said of her "bluin," it is the democracy of Kentucky. lGreat laughter It is sturdy clinging to the rdea that government belongs to the many, and IS not the exclusive property of the few. Applause. And an ob- stinate instance that this idea shall be carried into every administrative and Legislative affair and applied alike to the self amounted and the great unwashed. Laughter and applause.
 "Fellow democrats, we have stumb- led upon times which, if they do not try mems souls are enough to nan seate dogs. Laughter. Turn which ever way you will. it shall go lucky with you if you do not stick your nose in bottle of medicine prepar- ed for the regeneration of mankind. The air IS full of nostrums. There is the protectionist's wonderful iron tonic for making men rich by taxa tion. Great laughter.] There is the mugwump's evil service elixir for purifying the system, and per petuating liberty by the erection of an aristocracy of office upon the ruins of epresentatiye government. 1 Cheers. There is frauds own pauper
 PATRIOTIC LAMENT
 which propose to exterminate vaga- bondage by making every tramp a pensioner cheers and continuous laughter and which we should have actually had administered to us but for the fly Grover Cleveland dropped into the first box of tue ointment submitted to his inspection. Re. newed cheering.] There IS that de llcious sugar coated, double com pound, educational capsule, which is to be given to every little nigger in the land before he goes to bed and when he gets up in the morning he shall come forth scholar and gentleman. Prolonged laughter. And then there is -Fox's universal renovator and social, moral and DO litical cure all, the tetotal prohibi tion pcrus plaster laughter which will stick to you like a brother, and
 laughter which is expected to con vert every
 DRINKING SALOON
 into temple of worship, and to re- people the world with new race of red nosed angles. Laughther and applause. l am against each and all of these quick remedies, [ap. plause and against the man who is in favor ofany one of them applause, and more particularly against him if he claims to be democrat. Loud applause. They are the vaporing of mock sentiment and the bastards | of paternal licentiousness. Ap- plause. They strike at the feet of our constitutional system, which | was conceived in the right of man to govern himself, and brought forth to meet the evil that mankind is gov. erned too much. Applause1. It would amaze the fathers of this re- | public to look in upon us to day and l to behold the elaborate architecture and the costly and variegated furni- ture with which the vanity and | avarice of men and the ingenuity of | devils have contrived to overlay and | decorate the
 SIMPLE REPUBLICAN STRUCTURE they hewed out of the primal forests of nature and built upon the rocks of liberty. Cheers. If It be not the mission of the democratic party to preserve in the new something of the spirit of the old cheers to com bine tradition with movement and to lighten the highways of progress with brands snatched from the fire kindled by those who launched the ark of the union and made the cove nant of states cheers then there Is no future for us but repetition of histories, which had better never been. have followed the morning star of democracy from the monday secession through the darkest hours of midnight reconstruction, and, with the dawn of peace and reason, have seen it shine over united peo- pie applause as bright and clear as the
 STAR OF BETHLEHEM, which presaged the coming of Christ; and as truly as I believe that God reigns and orders all things for good